Spanish Bullfight

Starring: N/A
Directed by: N/A
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Documentary
Length: 42 seconds
1900

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Documents a Spanish bullfight.

Review:

Tim: This is a Lumiere film that depicts a Spanish bullfight. For the most part, I enjoyed this short film. It represents one of the greatest aspects of film- it can transport you to faraway lands. Many of the viewers would never be able to see a Spanish bullfight in person, but through the power of the cinema, they could. I love when movies do this.

For me personally, this film reminded me of my brief visit to Spain in 2003, and the bullfight I saw in person. The movie is really shot from a great vantage point- you can clearly see the action in the ring, but you can also see people cheering and clapping at the bottom of the screen. At the top, you can see other spectators on the other side of the ring. It's framed exceptionally well. There is also a lot of action for this short film. It really does capture the experience of being at a bullfight remarkably well.

While watching this film, I was ruminating on the differences in watching a film like this, and the typical movies that roll out of Hollywood every year. The difference is stark. With this little short, you only have 42 seconds. That's not a long time, so when I watch this, my eyes are constantly scanning the film, trying to soak it all in, trying to understand and appreciate everything. When something impressive happens (like when the bull charges the horse), it becomes much more exciting. Those highlights take on greater importance. When I'm watching a movie from today, 42 seconds is nothing. Not much happens in 42 seconds. But here, in this one-shot actuality film, 42 seconds is it's whole world. I just thought that was an interesting observation, that I watch this movie more actively and intently than I do feature films today.

This movie was produced by Louis Lumiere, but the director is unknown. It could have been Lumiere, but we really have no idea. That happened with quite a few Lumiere films. That's a shame, because the film is well made, and I'd like to give credit to whoever was behind the camera.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: N/A